SPAIN Univerity faculty inbreeding

Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 1:05 AM Hank Levin writes: " El Pais (6/27/04) has a discussion about university inbreeding of faculty, a very common practice in Spain, Portugal (and as far as I can tell from my limited knowledge of specific universities, in France, Italy, and Greece). For example, I spent some time at the University of Burgundy in Dijon a number of years ago and found that most of the faculty had degrees from that institution. China also has a very serious problem of faculty inbreeding. It is well known in Spain that the concursos for positions are often heavily biased through "gentlemen agreements" in favor of candidates who received their degrees from the same universities for which they are competing for positions, despite the use of tribunals with representatives from other universities and what appears to be an objective process (CV, presentation, interlocution, etc...). Professor Reig states that inbreeding is the norm in the Spanish university. He then goes on to say: "As is well-known, its persistent practice produces idiocy and mental degeneration." The Rectors of the Spanish universities met this week and decided to ask that the laws be changed to reduce the practice of inbreeding. This request has launched a storm of debate".